Vitch and the Art of Survival

When

Campus Location

Description

The College of Liberal Arts, University Forum Lecture Series presents “Vitch and the Art of Survival,” a talk by Sigal Bujman, Documentary Filmmaker.

Eddie Vitch (née Ignace Levkovitch) was a talented caricature and mime artist. His iconic drawings of the silver screen’s biggest stars covered the walls of the Brown Derby in Los Angeles – a famous backdrop to Hollywood and the stuff of celebrity lore. In the 1930’s, he was deported back to Europe where his mime act became a huge success. When Germany invaded France in 1940, Nazi officers saw him on stage and sent him to perform in Germany. Throughout the World War II, he performed in front of the Nazi elite and the Gestapo in Germany’s most prestigious theaters. His documents identified him as “Levkovitch,” a recognizably Jewish name. He was hiding in plain sight, or maybe the Nazis were protecting him? This film reveals his mysterious life and the controversial choices he made to survive the Holocaust.